Method of and apparatus for pickling tubes



Dec. 25, 1951 c, WATSON 2,580,371

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PICKLING TUBES Filed Aug. 4, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 M F 2/ i i 0 0 O O l 3 o O Y 20 0 lg I Z o IN VEN TOR.

A TIM/V1575 Dec. 25, 195] c. G. wATsoN 2,580,371

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PICKLING TUBES Filed Aug. 4, 194a 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 BY O/AALS G. M/ rsou I M m/AM a; 2/

A TTORNEY Patented Dec. 25, 1951 METHOD O AND APPARATUS FOR PICKLING TUBES Charles G. Watson, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to The Youngstown Welding & Engineering Company, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio . Application August 4, 1948, serial No; 42,367

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to the pickling of tubes and, more particularly, to a'method of andappar'atus for pickling tubes wherein the tubes are repeatedly submerged in a pickling bath. h

The'principal object of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved method of and apparatus for pickling tubes wherein the tubes to be pickled are repeatedly submerged in a pickling bath, lifted rapidly from the bath while in horizontal position, and given a quick tilt just as they emerge from the surface of the bath, to dump the pickling solution from the interior of the tubes with a rush so as wash or flush the scale and dirt loosened by the pickling solution from further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the fo lowing description of the preferred method and embodiment of apparatus for practicing the method described with reference to the accompanying draw ngs forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters desi nate corresponding parts, and in which Fig. l is a fragmentary, plan view of a tube pickling apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views a proximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the apparatus in different operating positions.

Referr ng to the drawings, the reference character A designates a pickling tank of convent onal construction and made of suitable mater al resistant or inert'to the pickling solution C w th which it is filled to substantially the place indicated by the dot-dash line ill in the drawings. The tank A per se forms no part of the present invention and is not herein illustrated and de scribed in detail. The tank shown is of elongated, rectangular shape in plan view to accommodate a plurality of tubes B to be pickled supported in flexible orchain slings H, l2 located at opposite ends of the tank. Opposite ends of the slings H, 32, which slings are also made of material resistant or inert to the pickling solution; for example, Monel metal, are connected to pairs of wheels or drums l3, l4 and l 5, [6, respec-- tlvely. r

The pairs of wheels or'drums l3, M and I5, It to which the slings are connected are carried by longitudinallyextending, parallel. shafts Ill, [8 ldbatd at opposite Sides 0f the tank. The shafts I1; I8 are carried by suitable bearing brackets 20 bolted or otherwise secured to the tops 'of supports or pillars 2! located at opposite sides of the tank. In the present instance, the supports 2| are concrete pillars located immediately to the outside of the tank 'so'that the tank can be replaced, if necessary, without disturbing other parts of the equipment; however, it is to be understood that any suitable construction may be employed. As is the usual practice; the tank is located in a recess'22 in the floor 23.

The shafts l'i, R8 are adapted to be oscillated in opposite directions by a reversible electric motor 25bolted to a support 25 at one end of the tank and operatively connected to the shafts ll, 58 through a speed reducer, designated generally as 21, and suitable worm and worm wheel drives located within the housings 28, 29. Suitable means; for example, mechanism similar to that shown in my copending application Serial No. 16,838, filed March 24, 1948, entitled Method and Apparatus for Pickling Coils may be employed for controlling the operation of the motor as in opposite directions.

The drums l3, i i areeach provided'with arm- 'like projections 31!, 30, respectively, which engage the sides of sling ll as'the drums l3, l4 rotate outwardly. The projections 30, 3| have straight portions tangent to the sling receiving periphery of the drums and extend'to the outer ends of the projections so that as the drums rotate to a given angle in raising the sling, the sides of the sling are engaged by the straight portions and the support of the slings is immediatey transferred to the outer ends of the projections which travel. at an appreciably greater velocity than'the' portions of the'drums engaged by the sling whereby the speed of the upward movement 1 such that the arcs describedby the ends thereof have radii approximately one and one-half times that of the effective periphery of the drums I 3, l4 and consequent y the velocity of the ends of the projections is about one and one-half times that The drums 15, l tat the opposite-ends'of the 'tankare-cyclind-rical and of the same diameter as that erthe drums I3, I41" 'rhe'positien which'th'e various parts occupy when the shafts l1, l8 are at one extreme end of their oscillation; that is, in the direction to lower the slings l I, l 2 is shown in Fig. 1. As shown in this figure, the slings are resting upon the bottom of the tank A and the tubes 13 being pickled are supported upon spreaders 32, 33 adjacent to opposite ends of the tank A. The Spreaders are Monel members suspended from the upper edges of the tank, as clearly shown in Fig. l, and divide the load or bundle of tubes B into two halves or parts as the slings are lowered to the bottom of the tank, thus causing the tubes to roll relative to each other thereby facilitating the action of the pickling solution thereon.

As the motor begins to rotate in the opposite direction, the slings ll, l2 are raised at an equal rate until they reach the position shown in Fig. 3. In this position, the tubes B are at or adjacent to the surface of the pickling solution in the pickling tank and the sling H at the left-hand end of the tank, as viewed in Fig. 1, is about to be engaged by the projections 39, 3| on the drums l4, 13 to quickly raise the left-hand end of the tubes and give the tubes a quick tilt to dump the pickling solution within the tubes quickly from the interior of the tubes with a rush and thereby wash or flush the scale and dirt which has been loosened by the action of the pickling solution from the interior of the tubes. tially instantaneous acceleration of the upward movement of the sling ll imparts a quick tilt to the tubes before the liquid or pickling solution therein has otherwise had. an opportunity to drain from the interior of the tubes. This causes the solution to surge to one end of the tubes and force the loosened scale, dirt, etc. from the tubes. After the pickling solution has been dumped from the interior of the tubes, the direction of rotation of the motor 25 is reversed and the tubes again lowered into the pickling solution. As the tubes are lowered the chain immediately leaves the projections 30, 3! on the drums l3, l4, and the tubes re-enter the pickling solution in a horizontal position. Thus the pickling solution rushes into both ends of the empty tubes simultaneously as they are lowered into the pickling tank, which further loosens the scale within the tubes.

From the foregoing it is believed that it will be apparent that the objects heretofore mentioned and others have been accomplished and that there has been provided a novel and improved method of and apparatus for pickling tubes. While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in considerable detail, the invention is not limited to the particular construction shown, and it is my intention to cover hereby all modifications and uses thereof which come within the practice of those skilled in the art to which it relates and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a tube pickling apparatus including a tank containing a pickling bath, the combination of a pair of slings spaced from one another and adapted to raise and lower a bundle of tubes into and out of the pickling bath, powder means to'raise and lower said s ings, said means including two members supporting the respective slings and movable to raise said slings through a given distance at a given rate whereby the tubes in the slings are raised from the bath substantially horizontally, and a sling elevating means associated with one of said members and having a sling eleyatingmovement appreciably greaterthan that The substanof said members and operative after a predetermined upward movement of said slings by said members to substantially instantaneously greatly increase the rate of upward movement of one of said slings whereby the tubes carried in said slings are suddenly tilted endwise to cause the liquid therein to surge to one end of the tubes and flush scale and like matter therefrom.

2. In a tube pickling apparatus including a tank containing a pickling bath, the combination of a pair of slings spaced from one another and adapted to raise and lower a bundle of tubes into and out of the pickling bath, power means to raise and lower said slings, said means including two members supporting the respective slings and movable at a predetermined rate to raise said slings to maintain the tubes carried therein substantially horizontal, and a movable sling supporting means driven in timed relation to said members and moving at an appreciably greater rateand in a path to engage one of said slings during movement thereof upwardly by one of said members toinstantaneously shift the support of the last mentioned sling from said one member thereto and thereby substantially. instantaneously greatly increase the rate of elevation of said one sling to suddenly tilt the tubes in the slings endwise and cause the liquid therein to surge to one end and flush the tubes of scale and other matter. 7

3. In a tube pickling apparatus including a tank containing a pickling bath, the combination of a pair of s ings spaced from one another and adapted to raise and lower a bundle of tubes into and out of the pickling bath, power means to raise and lower said slings, said means including two rotatable drums engaging one side of the respective slings and rotatable in timed relation to raise said slings at equal rates to maintain the tubes carried therein substantially horizontal during a portion of the vertical movement thereof, and a rotating member driven in timed re ation with said drums and engageable with one of said slings after a predetermined upward movement thereof, said rotating member having a velocity appreciably greater than the velocity of the sling engaging portion of said drums and adapted to substantially instantaneously engage said one sling to transfer the support of the sling from its associated drum to said member and substantially instantaneously greatly increase the rate of upward movement of said sling, whereby the tubes carried in the slings are suddenly tilted endwise to cause the liquid therein to surge to one end of the tubes and flush scale and like material therefrom.

4. In a tube pickling apparatus, the combina tion of a tank containing a pickling bath, the combination of a pair of slings spaced from one another and adapted to raise and lower a bundle of tubes into and out of the pickling bath, two spaced drums operatively connected with the respective slings and adapted to raise said slings when said drums are rotated, power means to rotate said drums in unison to raise and lower said slings at an equal rate whereby the tubes carried in the slings are maintained substantially horizontal, and an arm-like projection associated with one of said drums and movable therewith and having its end portion adapted to move into engagement with the sling associated with said one drum during a portion of the rotation of said drum, the end portion of said projection lying substantially tangent to a straight line tangent with the periphery of said one drum and said arm, being confined to the trailing side of said straight line relative to rotation of said drum and; projection to elevate said.

slings whereby the support of said one sling is transferred substantially instantaneously from the periphery of said one drum to the end portion of said projection to substantially instantaneously impart a greater velocity to said one sling to cause the tubes carried by to be suddenly tilted endwise.

5. In tube pickling apparatus, the combination of a tank containing a pickling bath, the combination of a pair of slings spaced from one another and adapted to support a bundle of tubes therein to raise and lower the tubes in the pickling bath, power means to raise said slings including two drums, each connected with the respective slings to raise and lower said slings at substantially equal speeds when the drums are rotated whereby tubes carried by said slings are raised and lowered substantially horizontally, and an arm-like projection extending from the periphery of one of said drums, one side of said projection extending in a straight line tangent to the periphery of said one drum and adapted to engage a side of said one sling during rotation of said one drum to raise said sling whereby the support for the side of said sling is substantially instantaneously transferred from the periphery of said drum to the outer end of said projection during rotation of the last mentioned drum to substantially instantaneously greatly accelerate the rate of upward movement of said sling to suddenly tilt the tubes carried by the slings and cause pickling solution therein to surge to one end of the tubes.

6. In tube pickling apparatus, the combination of a tank containing a pickling bath, a pair of spaced shafts adjacent to opposite sides of said tank, two spaced pairs of drums drivingly carried by said shafts, the drums of each pair being located on the respective shafts substantially opposite one another, a pair of slings each consaid slings I nected at its sides to the respective pairs of drums and adapted to support a bundle of tubes therein for movement thereof into and out of said bath, power means for rotating said shafts whereby said slings are raised and lowered by engagement with peripheral portions of said drums at substantially equal speeds to raise and lower tubes carried by said slings substantially horizontally, and a pair of sling lifting arms drivingly carried by the respective shafts and operative to initially engage opposite sides respectively of one of said slings at the end portions thereof during rotation of said shafts to elevate said slings whereby the rate of upward movement of said one sling is substantially instantaneously greatly. increased by said arms to quickly tilt the tubes carried in the slings endwise and cause the pickling solution therein to surge toward one end of the tubes.

7. The method of pickling tubeswhich comprises repeatedly submerging tubes to be pickled in a pickling bath, lifting the tubes horizontally from the surface of the bath and substantially instantaneously changing the ratio of speed of movement of the ends of the tubes from substantially one-to-one to in the order of one and one half to one, whereby the pickling liquid on the interior of the tubes surges toward the lower endsof the tubes to wash and flush the scale and dirt which has been loosened by the action of the pickling solution from the interior of the tubes.

CHARLES G. WATSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,820,851 Trevorrow Aug. 25, 1931 2,087,978 Keller July 27, 1937 2,405,157 McKee Aug. 6, 1946 

